Exhumed
by 157 yrs
Summary: Luke becomes unreachable when he falls to the dark side years after being raised by his father. Soon after, Darth Vader learns of the existence of his daughter. Determined not to make the same mistake twice, the dark lord seeks her out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

"_The Emperor has decided that my dreams carry some relevance. We both believe that I have a sister." Luke told his father acidly. It was the first time that his son had spoken to him in over a year. _

"_Sister?" Vader asked_.

Darth Vader stormed into the entrance of the rebel base. The fools thought that they could hide on the desolate planet Hoth. It had only taken a minimal effort to find them.

"Imperial troops have entered the base! Repeat: Imperial troops have entered the base!" A voice called out on the base's over speaker. It was eventually muffled when the storm troopers found the rebel using it.

"My lord, it appears that mosts of the rebels have already escaped. Nine of the launches were successful in slipping passed the blockade." A nervous lieutenant reported to the Sith.

"_Twin sister to be precise." Luke remarked._

_It took Vader a few moments to process the news. Luke was all but lost to the Emperor now. His master had completely turned the youth against him. His son was a monster, twisted and unreachable. To learn that he had a second child hidden away brought both relief and pain. _

_If he could somehow find this estranged daughter then maybe..._

"_Who?" Vader asked eventually. _

_Luke smiled nastily at him._

"_Oh you're going to love this. Its the rebel senator, Princess Leia Organa." Luke sneered. _

Stretching out into the force, Vader was relieved to sense that she hadn't left. Yet.

"Have the entrances been sealed off?" He asked. The lieutenant quickly nodded his head.

"Y-yes. As we speak they are being sealed." He stuttered. Vader marched passed him having lost his patience. He only had one chance to find her. Her presence burned brightly in the force, just as Luke's once had, before the emperor corrupted him. Now was his chance.

Heavy blaster fire from a narrow passageway caught his attention.

"Sir, we believe that a small group of remaining rebels have barricaded themselves in the east corridor." A commanding trooper announced.

"_The emperor has decided that it would be better if you brought her in." Luke's tone made it clear that he did not agree with the idea. _

_"And the Emperor thinks to turn her?" Vader asked incredulously._

_"Yes. I would rather her death, she's too much of a threat but the emperor wants to test her first." Luke growled.  
_

The Imperial walkers above the base caused snow to collapse in several areas. The east wing, where the rebels had barricaded themselves was completely crushed. Vader reached out worriedly, but none of the lives slipping away were that of the princess's. For the time being, she was still safe.

"If it continues at this rate, the rebels will be buried alive." The trooper commented. It was clear that the man thought his job had been taken care of for him.

"No, commander. Make no mistake. I want every rebel accounted for. Several officers assume too much and it costs them their lives." The trooper saluted and left.

_Vader turned away from his son, unable to look at him. _

_"Does she know?" He asked eventually. He felt rather than saw Luke shrug._

_"Possibly. The emperor doesn't think that she has had any prior training so it is unlikely that the Jedi told her anything. But, if she's having dreams like I am, there is a chance."_

_Vader closed his eyes and allowed an image of the princess to flow into his mind. How blind and foolish he was! The answer was there, as plain as the day. He had encountered the fiery princess on several occasions. She was the spitting image of Padme and had inherited his own ruling temper. But he had been too preoccupied with Luke. Raising his son left him too distracted to ever think of the possibility that there might have been a second child._

An ice glacier fell off in the distance. It would have been of no consequence, if not for the distinct feminine scream that followed. Vader honed in on it.

"Sir, that part of the base hasn't been secured yet. Please allow a squad to accompany you." A brave storm trooper asked. The man was terrified of facing him but he was doing what he thought was right. Vader made the mental note to have him promoted. There weren't very many men brave enough to face him.

"You will stay here until otherwise directed. I must go alone." He man nodded and directed the squad to stand down.

Vader marched down the icy corridor with what he barely recognized as apprehension. He had no plan and no way of knowing what the outcome of meeting the princess would be. He was never very good with words and he knew she already despised and hated him. A brief onslaught of images of him interrogating her aboard the Death Star came to his mind. He knew that there was no way that she would come with him willingly. She would kill herself out of spite if she knew he wanted her alive.

_He felt his son reaching out and testing his power. _

_Vader wanted to take pride in his son's growing force skills. But there was only bitter regret and a deep sadness. The emperor had taken away his heir and had made him his enemy. The raw power that Luke had inherited from him the emperor had now bent to serve his own purposes.  
_

_He felt Luke draw back and he knew his son was displeased. The youth had grown well into his skills but he was still outmatched._

_If Luke tried to fight him, in his present state he would still lose._

The corridor branched out into a large hangar. The cargo exit or what he assumed was an exit had been completely sealed off. There was no one in sight. Through the force, Vader was pleased to sense that the princess was alone.

Deciding that the direct approach would be the best. Vader called out,

"Don't be coy princess. I know you are here." He could feel her fear and anger rolling off in waves but there was no verbal response. He thought about exposing her hiding place but decided against it. He just needed her to listen.

"Leia, this is important." He paused, trying out the name. He couldn't recall every saying it...

Vader forced himself to focus and continue.

"The emperor has taken a sudden interest in you. He believes that -" Vader's throat suddenly closed as his emotions fought the better of him. Reaching out into the force he calmed himself. He knew she was listening intently now.

"He believes that your have the potential to become a powerful force user like my son. You have inherited a great power just as Luke has." A brief pain flared up and it took Vader a moment to realize that it was coming from the princess. Only then did Vader remember that she had been friends with Luke in their youth. The bright, blue eyed boy that had made her smile was long gone. Vader could only imagine what she thought of Luke as he was presently.

_"How does Legious sound to you, father?" Luke asked casually. Vader turned to look at him questioningly._

_Luke's cold yellow eyes pinned him in place._

_"For a Sith name, I mean. The emperor advised that I choose one to be ready for after I defeat you." He taunted. _

_It still hurt, oh he thought he would recover but the wound would never heal. The boy hated him plain and simple. There was no disillusion to what the future had in store for them. They would face off and fight for the rightful place as the emperor's apprentice. Only one of them would come back alive.  
_

_Vader turned and walked away._

"I have been ordered here today to come and collect you. Only I - the force - has shown me that it would not be a wise decision." He almost revealed her parentage to her then but fought against it. He needed her to be strong when Luke came for her. She needed to know the truth but he had to choose his words carefully.

"Luke is all but unreachable to me now. But there is still good in him."

"The hanger is just up ahead, commander." A distant voice called. Vader clenched his fist in frustration. Someone must have ordered the squad forward. If Leia was found then Luke would be lost forever.

Striding forward quickly, Vader drew his lightsaber and cut a small portal into the snow. It was small, but the princess would probably be able to fit through it and escape.

"He will come for you, and he will be angry. You need to be prepared. Run and hide. Only meet him on your terms. Don't let him catch you off guard." Several footsteps of storm troopers echoed off the icy walls. Vader knew that his time was up.

"You must do this. I cannot reach him anymore but maybe, as his sister, you can." With nothing left to say, Vader turned back and headed down the corridor. The storm troopers needed to be intercepted if Leia was to escape.

Briefly he wondered if the princess would deny the truth. However, the sound of her anguished cry told him that she believed.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own StarWars

"_He has left you." An old weathered voice stated._

"_He'll come back for me. He always comes back for me." A familiar voice replied shakily._

_There was a loud snap followed by a muffled cry._

"_Fool! Who do you think ordered him to care for you. If not for me, Lord Vader would have killed you as soon as he had found you." The old voice admonished._

_There was another sickening snap but only a low groan could be heard in response._

"_He doesn't care about you." _

"_No no no!" Luke screamed. There was blood smeared across his mouth and both of his eyes were bruised and swollen. He was wearing a black tunic and pants that had been torn in several places. His legs were mangled and twisted at odd angles. He was huddled down in the corner of a dark room with both of his hands covering his ears._

"_My father loves me." He cried._

_The old voice let out an evil cackle and then Palpatine stood over him. Abruptly, the laughing ceased._

"_Sith Lords do not love," He told Luke coldly. Raising his old hands he aimed them at Luke._

"_And for that matter, neither do you, my new apprentice." Then the emperor released the unholiest of storms of lightning onto the youth and watched in satisfaction as another piece of Luke Skywalker was destroyed._

Leia shot up in her seat, tears glistening down her face. Hastily, she wiped them away. It would do no good. Luke Skywalker was lost – had been lost for over five years... but the nightmares felt so real.

"I am in the Falcon. We are safe." She recited to herself, glancing around the cockpit. She must have fallen asleep before she had finished her work. While Han had been busying away at repairing the hyper drive, Leia had discovered that the navigation computer's memory had eroded one tenth of the ships stored data and had decided to try and recover it.

There was a blanket covering her lap. Chewie must have placed it there after she had fallen asleep. Looking at the blanket thoughtfully, she considered trying to go back to sleep.

The emperor's cackle drifted into her memory.

For a brief moment, Leia felt like the helpless girl she had been on the Death Star waiting for Han Solo and Master Yoda to rescue her.

There was nothing Leia longed for more than the company of her old mentor. Han was, well Han and while he was an expert in the subject of ship mechanics and piloting, he would never understand the ways of the Force.

Chewie and the droids were no better.

Aside from her fledgling training in the ways of the Force, Yoda had been a comforting friend who would have known what to say to her now in her times of distress. But her master was gone. The memory of his lasts moments aboard the Death Star burned into her memory - cut down by the monstrosity of man that was now claiming to be her father.

Leia shuddered, recalling the last encounter with him on Hoth.

Did Vader know who she was on the Death Star? Would he have knowingly tortured his own flesh and blood? Of course he would have. Luke was a prime example. He had surrendered his own son to the emperor's malicious whims. Everything that had made Luke good and bright had been extinguished. She was lucky that she had escaped before -

Leia shook her head. She was not acknowledging his claims. For all she knew, it was some elaborate trap of lies to lure her in and use her as leverage against the Alliance. But then, why had he let her escape on Hoth? Did he truly believe that she could save Luke where he as a father had failed?

Leia shook the thoughts and questions away.

Bail Organa would always be her true father, the good man that had raised her.

Vader was evil and now so was Luke. They were both damned. A small part of her protested at her dismissal of her childhood friend, but it couldn't be helped. Those early days back on Corsucant, playing unknowingly with Lord Vader's son in the senate lobby were long gone.

A glance at the chronometer revealed it to be nearly oh six hundred hours. It was very early. It seemed impossible for her to sleep after her last nightmare, but perhaps the Force could help her.

Recalling her brief lessons with Master Yoda, Leia moved away from her seat and took a meditative pose on the floor and closed her eyes.

There is no passion, there is only peace...

"_Leia..."_

Jerking slightly from the sound of the familiar voice, Leia opened her eyes. The faded blue apparition of her dead master made her squeak in surprise.

"_Leia, to the Tatooine system you will go." _The small Jedi ghost told her. Leia gaped.

"_There, learn from Obiwan Kenobi you will." _

* * *

Emperor Palpatine opened his eyes and took in a deep breath, allowing the dark side to fill him.

"Lord Vader has failed."

The shock waves from the boy kneeling before him pulsed in through the force, but still the youth did not rise. Palpatine leaned back in his throne in satisfaction.

The boy had come along way from the rebellious teenager that had been left with him. He could leave the boy kneeling before him for hours and knew that the child would not protest or move. Still, there was a spark of defiance left in him. An independent thought of outrage that still belonged to the boy. Until he _completely _surrendered, Palpatine's work would not bear fruit.

"You may rise, my apprentice."

At once the boy was on his feet.

"Organa has bested him?" The youth asked in disbelief, his yellow eyes shining at the implications. Palpatine laughed.

"Not quite, my young friend. Although I do sense she has had some training, the Jedi's efforts were minimal. No I believe your father," Palpatine paused and relished in his apprentice's anger over the choice of wording.

"has purposely failed in capturing the princess. It seems that even now after all these years he is tainted by his former weak life." But he knew that Vader would fail, it had been his plan since the beginning. Of course he would have profited if the girl had been apprehended, but it was just more satisfying to let his ultimate plan unfold by his design.

"Lord Vader is a failure and a disgrace to the name of the Sith. Master, allow me the honor of finishing him off. He is weak and his misplaced sentimentality distracts him." The boy told him heatedly. The emperor eyed his apprentice appraising. He knew the child desired to eliminate any rival to his own Sith claims. If Vader was removed, then the boy could rightfully claim a Sith title.

"Your zeal is to be commended, boy. You are the future of the Sith and everything I desire in an apprentice. Soon, you will destroy Lord Vader but not yet. His power still exceeds your own." Should the boy perish in a confrontation, Palpatine would still profit from Vader's misery and ensured loyalty to the dark side, but his desired plan would surely fail.

The boy seethed and withdrew from the force into quiet resentment. Palpatine frowned when he sensed it. The walls of self awareness in the boy's mind were a hindrance to him.

"I still have use of Lord Vader, however perhaps it is time to prove yourself in a test of sorts." The emperor invited. The youth perked up despite himself and Palpatine used that moment to call on the omnipotent tendrils of the dark side and slowly began to feed another small amount of his consciousness into the child's mind.

"Then I can go after Leia?" He asked excitedly. The malicious grin accompanying the question made it clear of his intentions. It was clear that the boy was still haunted by dreams of his twin.

Palpatine used the distraction to integrated a small portion of his will into the boy's sub conscious. It was a slow and tedious process he had begun after he had broken the youth years ago, but the end results would be most rewarding and he was getting so close...

"Yes you may but I have a different designation for you first. There is a more immediate threat that needs to be addressed." The emperor stated before levitating a datapad into the youth's awaiting hands.

The dark side withdrew. There, it was done. Another small, very nearly undetectable seed of his will had been soundly fastened to the boy's mind now. If anyone looked closely, they would see a whole infestation of his handiwork imprinted on the boy.

"Grand Moff Kaine has become something of a nuisance. His pride and ambitions have crossed the line into treason. I suggest you go and address my displeasure to the full extent of your abilities. Once finished, report back for further instructions regarding Organa." Palpatine slid back against his throne, his posture dismissing. He had tired quickly.

"I will not disappoint you, my master." He bowed and then left.

Palpatine watched him go with a sort of morbid fascination. It was a pity, really. The child had so much potential. The youth may think himself an apprentice, but he was a tool and nothing more. Lord Vader was truly Sidious's _only_ apprentice and one that he could not afford to dispose of, yet. Once Sidious was secure in his own strength again and had successfully trained his future apprentice, Organa, would he _deal_ with Lord Vader. It was only a matter of time, really. Soon the youth would be completely his, the princess would be captured, and he, Palpatine, would ensure the Sith legacy carried on by living forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

"_How can you do this to me?" Luke pleaded. His heels dug into the floor and Vader was resigned to drag him. _

_**The apprentice watched the scene with distaste. Those were Luke Skywalker's memories, not his.**_

"_Luke, act you age!" Vader reprimanded. The emperor's throne room was fast approaching. _

_**Leia stared at the scene with a mix sense of sadness and dread. Luke looked to be about fifteen. He was so young. She had long since given up trying to make the phantom memories hear her. They were in the past. **_

"_Please father, don't leave me with him! I hate the Emperor! He'll kill me!" Luke begged._

_**The apprentice's mouth twitched in an almost a smile. The emperor had killed Luke Skywalker, but that had been doing him a favor. The knowledge and power that had been bestowed upon him during his training had made it all worth the while.**_

_Vader looked around, worried that someone had over heard his son's anti imperialistic words. Once satisfied that they were alone, Vader shuffled his son to the side._

"_Luke, while in the presence of Emperor, never let him hear or sense your feelings. If one thing the Emperor does not tolerate, it's treason. This will only be until I return from my mission." Vader resumed pulling Luke by his forearm, though he was careful not to hurt him._

"_But you said you won't be back for six months!"_

_**Ignoring the dialogue, the apprentice looked across the room and saw another occupant. It was Princess Organa. Instantly he reached for his lightsaber, only to realize that he didn't have one in the dream. Oh well... he could use his bare hands.**_

_The throne doors were large and ominous. _

"_Father, I have a bad feeling about this." Luke told him with dread.. Vader sighed. Luke was somewhat melodramatic. _

"_The Emperor will show you the true nature of the force. While in his care, you must call him master." Once they reached the double doors, Vader hesitated. Luke was filled with abandoned resentment and fear. He suspected the boy would start to cry._

_**Leia couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes. As she moved to wipe them away she saw another Luke – an older one standing across the room and staring at her. No, he wasn't Luke. He was the emperor's apprentice. His yellow eyes studied her darkly, before he took a dangerous step towards her. This would be interesting, she thought.**_

"_I do not want to leave you here, but I have no choice. If I was stronger, then I could over throw the Emperor and we would rule the galaxy." Vader told the youth regretfully. Luke sniffed._

"_But all is not lost. Learn what you can from him now. Once you are stronger, we will destroy him together." He told him, and placed a comforting hand onto Luke's shoulder._

_**Leia was slightly surprised when the apprentice walked right through the images. **_

"_**I told you you to leave me alone, princess." **_

_**Leia nodded, forcing her fear away. It was not the first vision that they had shared.**_

"_**What? Don't you have anything to say? No 'Hi Luke,' or pleas for me to turn away from the dark side?" He asked sarcastically. His yellow eyes made her skin crawl. Without waiting for her response, he reached out and tried to grab at her. **_

"_May the Force be with you, my son." Vader told him and abruptly turned away, his cape billowing behind him. Luke looked longingly after him._

"_Goodbye father."_

_**Leia hastily moved away. She had learned that he could hurt her in the vision encounters.**_

_**Double backing, Luke gritted his teeth.**_

"_**Master or no master, I'm going to split your head open." He told her in an animalistic growl. Bending low, he dove towards her legs, intent on knocking her down with his full weight. Remembering her training, Leia jumped high into the air. But he was faster. When his hand shot out and grabbed her calf, Leia knew she was in trouble.**_

_**Taking the initiative, the apprentice twisted his grip on her and then forced her weight backwards and down. Leia felt the air leave her longs when her back slammed into the ground.**_

"_**Lord Vader may have let you live, but you will find that I have no such reserves." Leia tried to get up but the instant she moved, a boot was pressing against her throat. Looking up into the yellow eyes of her brother standing over her, she saw madness.**_

"_**And now I will kill you." She didn't understand why he hated her so much. Then his boot was grinding into her neck.**_

_**Her eye sight began to fail her as her throat began to cave in on itself. Just as her neck began to crack, Leia heard a new voice.**_

"_**No! This is not what I have commanded." Then the pressure against her throat was gone. **_

_**Gasping for air, Leia looked up. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw not Luke's face, but the Emperor's face pinned upon his apprentice's body.**_

"_**Leia Organa, come to me. I will complete your training!" **_

"Sir! We are approaching the Seswenna Sector!"

_**The vision faded.**_

Opening his eyes, the apprentice looked up from his sitting position on the floor and took in the form of the officer standing above him.

"Very good captain. Prepare my shuttle for immediate surface departure." The captain nodded.

"As per ordered, our presence has remained unannounced. Grand Moff Keine's fortress has not detected the _Harow's _presence in the sector, nor has the Reaper which has been maintaining orbit in the neighboring system."

The apprentice smiled darkly. The Grand Moff would not know what hit him.

"I shall prepare the troops." The captain informed him quietly. It was obvious that the man was uncomfortable.

"That won't be necessary. I will do this alone." The finality of his tone left no room for argument. The captain nodded briskly, though the apprentice could sense the officer's ire at the orders given to him by a boy nearly twenty years his junior. Still, the man obeyed.

The Emperor had given him command of the _Harrow _and all those who served aboard. The men would either comply to his orders or be destroyed. What didn't help, was that his master had failed to formally present him to the Imperial Court. In the eyes of the officers and politician's, he was a nobody that had gained a flake of the Emperor's favor.

The few officers that had recognized him as Lord Vader's son, quickly learned to keep their mouth's shut on fear of death. He hated to be known as Lord Vader's son. He did like to kill, though.

Soon, it would all change. Everyone would know who he was.

Climbing to his feet, the youth studied his private chambers. The walls were pale and bare of decorum and the shiny black tile glowed under the standard Imperial lights. He could have anything he wanted placed inside, but there was a perverse pleasure in the empty black and white that surrounded him.

His thoughts turned back to the vision.

"The Emperor appeared." He recalled with chagrin. Once Sidious had appeared, the apprentice had lost all control of the vision. Next time, he needed to stay focused. As long as his shields were up, then his master could not interfere.

He was not nearly as naive as his master might think. Sidious could plot and scheme all he wanted. He wasn't the only one with a hidden agenda.

"And I had been so close to ending the princess." He growled in frustration. As long as she was alive, the threat of her replacing him as an apprentice loomed over his spirit. He could have no rivals.

Scratching his head, he eyed his lightsaber, lying innocently on the ground in front of him. He hated his lightsaber. It had belonged to master Yoda. As long as he wielded a weak colored saber – a green, Jedi colored saber, anyone could mistake him for one of those pathetic dogs. He longed for the day when he killed Lord Vader and became a true Sith. Then he would build his own _red _bladed lightsaber.

Calling on the dark side, the weapon flew to his hand.

He had some killing to do.

It was his first mission and he would not disappoint his master. The dark side thrummed in anticipation. Sure, he had done the occasional kill back at the palace but it wasn't the same. It was time that he was unleashed unto the galaxy.

As he left his quarters, he noticed with smug arrogance that the deck had nearly been evacuated because of his presence. The crew was terrified of him already. As they should be. He had only killed one man so far- a Storm Trooper, but apparently it had been enough. The memory of the man's disconnected spine dangling in his hand had been invigorating.

As the shuttle descended, time became a blur.

The apprentice withdrew into the recesses of his own mind. There, among his own private thoughts and memories pulsed his master's consciousness. There was so much knowledge and power of the dark side just waiting for him to explore. However, should he do it,there was a good chance that Sidious would discover his apprentice's awareness of the situation. He did not want that. Once the Emperor transferred most of his mind into his apprentice's, then the old man would be weak enough to be slaughtered. Then _he_ would be the ultimate master of the Force.

"Unidentified aircraft. State your destination and code clearance." A monotone voice broke in through the radio. Grinning, the apprentice reached out through the Force and found the man's mind. It was so easy to overcome it. The dark side beckoned and in an instant, the man's life was snuffed out. Who ever found him would think the man had died from a brain hemorrhage.

The shuttle's turbulence disrupted his concentration. He knew it was time. Quickly, he went through landing procedure and guided the craft down into the Moff's own ship yard.

Once the ramp descended, the apprentice marched out and met the guards. He relished the sensation of their lives draining away as he ran them through with his light saber. He was going to kill everyone with any and all relations to the Moff, starting with the storm troopers running towards him with their weapons raised.

"Call for help and inform command that a Jedi is attacking!" A security officer called just before he was decapitated.

Feeling a sense of nostalgia, the apprentice grinned and let the dark side flow through him.

His master would be pleased.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

"Yoda, why didn't you tell me." Leia's voice drifted in from the cockpit. She was having another nightmare.

Han set the hydro spanner down and contemplated waking the princess up. He did not like to see her so distressed; but the last time he had tried to wake her up - he had gotten a punch to his jaw. For such a tiny person, Leia had quite the hidden strength. Of course she had insisted that she had still been asleep when she had hit him, but Han wasn't so sure.

Leia moaned and just as Han decided that he would wake her up, the doors to the cockpit opened. Leia stepped out looking just as confused and miserable as she had sounded in her sleep. Her skin was abnormally pale, her eyes were blood shot and the skin around them was dark and slightly sunken in.

Leia tried to meet Han's questioning gaze, but failed.

"Sleep well?" He asked her sarcastically, letting the bitterness slip into his voice.

What ever had happened during her escape on Hoth, had truly rattled her. Han suspected Vader was involved, as he had heard that the dark lord had personally led the base invasion but Leia refused to speak with him about the topic. He was frustrated and at a loss on how to help the princess. Truth was, he was quickly developing _feelings _for her, and it hurt that she was shutting him out.

Leia straightened and gave him an indignant look.

"I was able to recover most of the loss data from the navigation computer, but the system itself will need to be replaced." She told him coldly. Han crossed his arms.

"Is that so?" He asked her. Leia refused to be baited.

"Where is Artoo? I could use his assistance with the maintenance." Leia asked, noticing for the first time that she and Han were alone. After her nightmare, she did not want to be alone, and longed for the company of Artoo, Threepio or even Chewie, just not Han. Forcing down her panic, she tried to remain calm. Han would want to talk about Hoth and that conversation was something that Leia was not ready for.

"Chewie has R2 plugged into the Falcon's main computer." He told her smugly. Leia rubbed her temples.

"Fine, I can use Theepio instead." She told him. Han actually had the audacity to grin.

"Sorry sweetheart, Chewie has him replacing the power coupling." Leia fumed and stormed towards the fresher where she could lock herself in and Han could not follow.

"Once repairs have been made, we need to change our heading." She told him, trying to keep her voice even. Han's eyebrows rose high in surprise.

"I thought we were meeting at Madine's rendezvous point?" He asked, clearly at a loss.

"We were, but plans have changed. We're going to Tatooine." She told him. Han sputtered and grabbed her hand.

"Excuse me! Tatooine! Have you lost your mind?" Leia frowned in confusion and turned around.

"What?" She asked, surprised by Han's reluctance. There was an usual amount of fear coming off of the smuggler.

"Tatooine is the base of operation for Jabba the Hutt!" He exclaimed, gripping her hand tighter. Leia tugged on her arm, but Han would not let go.

"I never paid off the debt I owe. If I go near that system, I'm a dead man." He continued. Leia jerked her arm again, clearly annoyed.

"Fine, if you don't want to go, then drop me off at the nearest fueling port and I'll find a new pilot – will you stop that! My hands are dirty!" She shouted. Han smiled, happy to get a rise out of her. She looked nearly normal now that she was yelling at him.

"My hands are dirty too." He told her, leaning in closer. Despite herself, Leia found that she could not move away from him.

"What are you afraid of?" He asked.

"Afraid?" She scoffed, then her eyes flashed and the image of the Emperor's face pinned on Luke's body drifted back into her mind. The hydro spanner that had been forgotten suddenly sprang to life under Leia's growing powers and flew across the lounge only to crash into the adjacent wall. Leia pushed Han away violently.

"I am not afraid." She told him forcefully, her shoulders stiffening. Han frowned, knowing that he had lost her again.

"I'm not leaving you at some fueling port. The Empire would capture you the instant I dropped you off. Or have you forgotten why we're hiding in this asteroid?"

"Please Han, this is important. I think that there might be another Jedi Master that can train me." She told him quietly. She began to inch towards the fresher, desperate to put some space between them. Han pretended not to notice the change in her demure. She was afraid.

He studied her quietly for a moment and Leia willed herself to remain still.

"Does this have something to do with your nightmares?" He guessed. Leia's jaw twitched.

"I don't have nightmares." She told him, trying to keep her face blank.

"I heard you." He told her pointedly. Leia cupped her elbows, wondering how much she should tell him. Aside from her years as a senator, and minimal training on Dagobah with Master Yoda, as well as her former friendship with Luke Skywalker, Han knew very little about her personal background.

"Or does this have something to do with your most recent encounter with Vader?" Han pressed. Leia looked away. Han had no idea he had hit so close to home. The dark lord had just tried to contact her through the Force, before she had left the cockpit.

"I'll make you a deal, princess. You tell me what's going on, and I'll take you wherever you want to go. Does that sound like a deal?" He tried and offered her his hand. Leia eyed him for a moment.

"_Your feelings you must trust." _

Master Yoda's voice came back to her. Could she trust Han? Would he tell someone? If anyone from the Alliance ever found out that she was Vader's daughter and sister to the Emperor's newest terror, she could be court-martialed on grounds of suspicion of treason. At the very worst, her life would be in danger. But Han was good and despite his selfish ways, had always taken care of her in the past.

"Fine, I'll tell you..." and she shook Han's hand.

"... It's about Luke."

A small pain welled up in Han's heart when he heard _that_ name. He should have known that Leia's old flame had something to do with it. She had never specifically said what her relationship with Vader's son had entailed, but it was obvious that he was special to Leia. Even after all the rumored atrocities the man had committed, she still loved him

"Wait, so he is the one your dreaming about, or is it Vader?" He asked. Leia swallowed, knowing that the next few minutes would be the hardest.

Then they heard a metallic scream.

Turning in surprise, they both watched as Threepio came running through the corridor. Chewies was hot on his heels.

"Captain Solo! Captain Solo! There's something out there!" The droid exclaimed.

"Where?" Han demanded.

"Outside the cave?" Leia asked in surprise.

Chewie growled.

There was a distinct set of bangs and thumps.

"There it is, listen! Listen!"

Han headed grabbed a space mask and pulled out his blaster. Chewie followed suit and lowered the ramp.

"You can't go out there!" Leia exclaimed. If something should happen to Han...

"We've spent days repairing the Falcon. I'm not about to let something tear her apart." Then he and Chewie left the ship.

"Well, then I'm going with you!" Leia shouted.

* * *

Vader poured over the reports of the princess in his meditation chamber. There were reports of her childhood achievements, former associates, as well as her habitual activities from her days serving in the senate. But it wasn't enough.

The dark lord clenched his fist in anger.

It would never be enough. His child had been stolen from him and her upbringing had ruined any chance of reconciliation. Danger was everywhere. With Palpatine's spies ever present, as well as the imminent threat of the Rebellion and his own son balancing on the point of an insane monstrosity, it seemed very unlikely that he could ally with Leia and hide her away to train in the arts of the dark side.

Once trained as a Sith, she would be powerful enough and together they could over throw the Emperor and severe his influence over Luke.

Not that she would ever consciously agree to be trained. Amongst the princess's information, one of his spies had reported that five years ago – at the precise time that Luke began his training with the Emperor – a suspected Jedi had been seen at the Alderaanian Palace. Shortly afterward, the princess had disappeared. It was too much of a coincidence to dismiss and Vader was forced to accept that Leia had fallen under the influence of the Jedi.

The spy that had given the report had perished a terrible death at the hands of his rage...

Sensing a presence waiting outside of his chamber, Vader opened the massive doors and acknowledge the nervous officer – Admiral Piett.

"Yes, admiral?"

"Our ships have sighted the Millennium Falcon, but it has entered an asteroid field and we cannot risk -"

"Asteroids do not concern me, admiral. I want that ship, not excuses." The man bowed and left.

Stretching out into the Force, Vader sought out the princess and offered to link his mind with hers. With no chance of stormtroopers overhearing him, as had been the danger on Hoth, he called out to his daughter,

_'Leia, come. Join me in the dark side. Come to the Vjun system.'_

His personal base, Bast Castle, was located there and she would be safely hidden.

_'It is the only way you can save Luke.'_

His invitation was rebuffed and he sensed the princess's shields rising. No matter, as long as his master's spies were about - he would continue the pretense of the chase until an opportunity would present itself. It would do Leia no good if Sidious suspected him of treason. He would be destroyed and Leia would be left at the mercies of his master, while Luke was lost forever.

_'Turn to the dark side and save your brother.'_

He tried one more time. To his surprise, Leia's novice presence responded.

_'No, Father.'_

The sound of his terminal beeping disrupted his concentration and then the connection was lost. Looking at the encoded text, Vader braced himself.

The Emperor had commanded that he make contact...


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

"_I hate him!" Luke cried as two royal guards held each of his arms and forced him to stand on his broken legs._

_The Emperor paced in front of him._

_One of the Hands, Sheyvan, stood in front of him with a force pike. He sneered, but otherwise, remained silent. The boy was so close to giving in. The dark side gathered around him, waiting._

"_Hate him, boy – hate him and pity him." The Emperor signaled for Sheyvan to continue. Grinning, the man jabbed Luke in the stomach. An ocean of pink electric shocks swam out over Luke's body from the vibro – edged head of the weapon. The setting was low enough to guarantee no... permanent damage._

_Luke screamed, his whole body writhing in agony. The royal guards holding him struggled to remain still as the electricity spread to their bodies as well._

"_Lord Vader is a sad, remnant of a soulless creature. He is lost, his soul is mine." The Emperor explained._

"_He left me!" Luke cried out. The Hand suddenly removed the pike only to backhand him hard in the mouth._

"_No talking!" He commanded. Sidious continued as if nothing had happened._

"_Only you can save him, but first you must save yourself. The dark side awaits your command. You can end your torment at any time. Strike out at your enemies!" He encouraged. Sheyvan jerked his chin slightly, alarmed by his master's words in encouraging the boy to attack him, but otherwise remained silent. Luke sobbed._

"_Please, just stop. I don't want to save him. Why would I want to save someone I hate?" Luke asked brokenly. The Emperor smiled and cooed at the boy._

"_That is today's lesson. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus and makes you strong. You have the potential to become stronger than Lord Vader." He caressed Luke's voice, making the boy whimper._

"_With great power comes great wisdom. Don't let your anger control you – you must control it. Only those strong enough in the dark side can control their anger, and can save the ones they love. Your father is too weak. He was too weak to save your mother, and now at the end he is too weak to save you. He cannot even save himself." Sidious explained. He signaled for the guards to release him._

_Luke collapsed on the floor. _

"_Become my apprentice and you will free your father's soul. You can end his suffering." The Emperor encouraged. Luke shook his head and the Emperor moved away from him._

"_Perhaps I was wrong in my assessment. Clearly you are too weak and selfish to save anyone." He signaled for his Hand to grab the boy._

"_Get him out of my sight." He told Sheyvan and turned away from them. The man grabbed Luke by his hair and pulled him to his feet._

"_Wait!" The boy was openly crying now._

"_I will – I will become your apprentice. Teach me how to be strong and master my hatred. Please, help me... save my father!" Sidious grinned, flashing his yellow teeth. The boy's torment and anger fed the dark side and he relished in it. Sidious turned back towards the youth._

"_Excellent. Now kneel before me and swear your allegiance." He commanded. Luke shuddered, but otherwise obeyed._

"_From this point forward, your are my servant. Become strong in the dark side and together we will end Lord Vader's misery! You can save him." Sidious promised. The future was becoming clear now that the boy had knelt to him._

"_Please master, what must I do?" He asked. Sidious signaled to the royal guards who instantly moved in and grabbed the boy, forcing him to stand once more. Luke looked at them in confusion._

"_You must continue in your lessons. You must embrace your pain and harness the dark side to become stronger. You must surrender yourself to me."_

_Then Sheyvan was standing over him with the force pike and grinning. _

_Pink sparks lit up the throne room and Luke Skywalker screamed until his throat became raw._

Closing his eyes, the apprentice relished in the memory. The lesson had served him well, just as the dark side did. It had taken several days, but eventually he _had_ ended his torment. The sound of Sheyvan's skull cracking as he repeatedly smashed it into the tile of the throne room still echoed in his mind.

He had become powerful that day. He would become even more powerful once everyone in the fortress was dead.

"Mommy!" A child screamed. Coming to attention, the apprentice saw a small blur coming towards him. Using the Force, he arched his lightsaber and swung. The blur was cut in half. As it fell to the floor he saw that it was a small boy.

A woman screamed.

Children were not nearly as challenging to kill as he had thought.

Several blaster shots were fired in his direction but he easily blocked them all with his blade. Smoke and confusion were thick in the air as he delved deeper into Ardus Kaine's fortress. He had yet to locate the Grand Moff, but the brief encounters with the various guard or civilian was enough to keep him entertained. Apparently the man had been hosting a dinner amidst a family gathering of sorts. It meant there would be plenty of people falling by his hand tonight.

It wasn't long before the body count rose and out of desperation, Ardus Kaine came forward. Behind him, the rest of his family huddled together. The group consisted of mostly woman and children, being that most of the men had already been killed.

"You'll pay for this, Jedi!" The man hissed. Kaine's fear and loathing were nearly tangible .The apprentice hid his fury under a malicious smile.

"Oh, I believe that it is you who must pay - pay for a great and many things." He snarled. By the end of his sentence, the apprentice's voice had changed to that of an old man. He sounded very nearly like... the Emperor.

The man drew back, immediately recognizing the change.

The apprentice blinked and then the moment was gone.

"Your treachery must be dealt with. The Empire can no longer turn a blind eye to threats such as you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The man denied. The apprentice grabbed him by the throat. Several members of the man's family began to protest.

"Ack- A-I am... a loyal servant..." The man wheezed. The apprentice sneered and used his strength to push the man onto his knees in submission.

"You insult my intelligence. The Emperor is well aware that you are auctioning off information to the highest bidder; secret information of his private cloning facility. That is intolerable." The man's neck began to crack and the apprentice knew that whatever information he needed to obtain, needed to be done quickly. His Master had specifically instructed him to eliminate the threat and sensitive information along with any suspected individuals that were involved.

"Where is the information?" He demanded. Kaine's eyes began to roll back into his head.

"You're... too late... the information was... on an encrypted file. It's already been sold..." The man coughed.

"Who was it sold to? Where are the copies?" The apprentice demanded. Kaine's life was already fading.

"N-no copies. The rebellion has the only file."

"You sold the Emperor's secrets to the Rebellion!" He roared. The man's terror escalated.

"Y-e-s... but not – the codes." Kaine tried to explain. Without the codes to decrypt the information, the file was useless.

"Where are the codes?" He demanded. But the Grand Moff shook his head.

"R-re-lease-me-f-first." He begged.

Flaring in anger at the man's audacity, the apprentice crushed the his windpipe and let him fall to the floor. It wasn't nearly enough to appease the rage that had slowly been building since he had arrived in the system. Glancing around, the apprentice smiled to himself when he saw the remaining members of Kaine's family. Three men stood protectively in front, forming a perimeter around the rest of the group. There were several woman amongst them, all with eyes wide in fear. Children hid behind them crying, their ages mingling from infants to young adolescents.

The apprentice reignited his lightsaber. One of the men flinched.

"Please, surely you have what you came for." The man swallowed thickly, gesturing to the Grand Moff's corpse.

"Let us go. We haven't done anything." The apprentice frowned, knowing that what the man asked for was impossible. They had heard him mention the cloning facility. No one was to know of such things.

"Sorry, but you must all die." He grinned and leapt towards the man. The dark side swelled in him as he brought his lightsaber down on the man, cutting him in half from head to waste. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. His hunger for power was insatiable.

"Why are you doing this?" A young woman cried. The apprentice turned towards her, surprised to see that her belly was swollen with child. She looked to be a few years older than him. He contemplated her for a second, before shrugging.

"Because I need to be stronger." And then he swung his lightsaber.

His mission was a disaster. He dare not return to his master empty handed. The information was gone. He had been too late. Now he had to somehow infiltrate the Rebellion.

* * *

"What, are you certain!" General Crix Madine asked in alarm. Mon Mothma and General Ackbar stood slightly behind them, their mouths agape.

"A secret cloning facility?" Mon Mothma asked once she had regained her composure.

Airen Cracken, the Commander of the Intelligence Department, stood before them. His posture was stiff and his face troubled.

"Yes," Cracken held up a data chip.

"I was assured by my resource that it was all in this chip. Unfortunately after it was bought, I discovered that everything within it was encrypted." He explained.

"The codes?" Madine asked. Cracken shook his head.

"I have a feeling that my resource won't give it up for free." He apologized. It was well known that the Rebellion was suffering from a short on money and supplies. They needed everything that they could get and could not afford to waste it on such a small thing as codes to an encrypted file. Mon Mothma frowned.

"Then perhaps your resource can be persuaded." She thought aloud. Madine nodded in agreement.

"We can send a small representative team to speak with your – ah connection." He proposed.

"What about Princess Leia and Han Solo-"

"There hasn't been any word from them since Hoth." Cracken interrupted. An uncomfortable silence followed. After the Battle of Hoth, the Alliance fleet had yet to relocate from the agreed rendezvous point in hopes that one of its leaders, Princess Leia, the inspiring Han Solo and the loyal Chewbacca would be found. Several members of the Alliance had begun to fear the worst, that the princess along with Solo, and the rest of the Millennium Falcon's crew had been captured... or worse.

The intelligence commander shook his head.

"Regardless, I'm afraid that sending a team to bargain with my resource is out of the question. You see, I bought the information in the Oversector Outer. Within the Seswenna System to be more precise."

Madine frowned.

"That's deep within Imperial Territory." He clarified. An Imperial Base home to Scourge Squadron was located on one of the System's moons.

"To reduce the risk of discovery, I traveled to the surface alone." Cracken told them. General Ackbar, who up until that time had remained silent, finally spoke.

"Commander, who is this resource of yours?" He asked suspiciously. Usually resources remained anonymous to preserve the spies service and safety; but there were always exceptions. Cracken looked uncomfortably reluctant, but answered them.

"It was Grand Moff Kaine." He told them. Mon Mothma sucked in a surprised breath and Madine's eyebrows rose into his hairline from surprise. General Ackbar frowned.

"It seems impossible, but it's true. From what I understand the moff held a grudge against the Emperor and sold the information out of spite and his own greed. He must have always intended to keep the codes and sell them to us separately for an additional price." Cracken explained.

"Are you sure that this is not some elaborate trap? Perhaps the Grand Moff is simply tricking us into crippling our finances and capturing us. The Emperor possessing a secret cloning lab could all be a ruse." Ackbar argued.

Before Cracken could reply, Mon Mothma laid a hand on the Mon Calamari's arm.

"Be that as it may, the Alliance can not risk the possible threat of such a cloning lab." She told them all quietly. Madine nodded and Ackbar backed away. Cracken released a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"So I am to proceed? I'll need the funds. The previous payment was procured from the last of my own-"

"-That won't be necessary." Mon Mothma interrupted coolly. Madine and Ackbar looked at each other in silence, knowing what she was about to say.

"We will all go together. We cannot afford to waste the Alliance's funds on a possible lead that may or may not be true. Perhaps a more intimidating approach should be used. I cannot imagine that Ardus Kaine would refuse our request for the information when our entire fleet is in orbit around his planet." She explained.

Cracken was surprised, at the aggressive suggestion. Mon Mothma was not one to use force as a means to an end. That was what the Emperor did...

"Relax commander, it's unlikely that the moff will call us on our bluff." Madine pointed out to him. Cracken nodded in relief.

"Then we are all in agreement?" He asked. Ackbar and Madine nodded simultaneously.

"Prepare the fleet for immediate departure." Mon Mothma concurred. Madine moved to exit the bridge with Cracken following close behind him.

"What about the Millennium Falcon?" Ackbar asked in concern. Mon Mothma pierced her lips in concentration.

"Transmit the Alliance's encoded message on emergency channel's Y and Z with the coordinance to our destination." It was a risky move. There was a chance that the message would be intercepted by the Empire. But the passengers on the Millennium Falcon were worth it.

General Ackbar nodded, pleased.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

"_Luke, please. You're not making any sense! Tell me what's wrong." She begged, frustrated that he would not look at her. His back remained stubbornly to her, as if he was hiding something._

"_I told you. We can't be friends anymore, Leia." He whispered to her softly. Leia's heart crumbled at his words. She hadn't seen him in three years. By some cosmic humor, he had shown up on Kasshyyyk,where she had been held hostage by Captian Ozzik Sturn._

_Leia stared at him, her eyes wide._

"_I don't understand. Haven't you come to rescue me?" She asked. Noticing his trembling form, she tentatively reached out a hand towards him. When she touched his shoulder he whirled on her._

"_No!" He yelled and Leia instinctively backed up. Luke seemed just as startled as her. He stared at her incredulously for a moment and then started to laugh. Leia's confusion turned to anger._

"_What's so funny!" She demanded. Luke stopped mid-laugh and turned a dark, dead panned face at her._

"_Captian Sturn is dead. I killed him." He told her, his eyes searching her face. Slowly, his gaze slid down her form and Leia couldn't help but shudder. Luke was her best friend- he never looked at her like that._

"_There's something wrong with you." She whispered. Luke advanced on her with a predatory look in his eyes. He felt wild and dangerous. His eyes were the wrong color. He sneered and wiped the back of his mouth with his hand. She noticed for the first time that it was blood. A glance behind him showed Leia the corpse of her captor, Captian Sturn. The man's facial tissue had been ripped off so that his entire face was nothing but bone. His mouth was open in what appeared to be a silent scream. Leia couldn't help but wonder if he had died of shock._

_Luke continued to advance on her until Leia had been backed into the nearest wall. _

"_Wait, please!" She cried as Luke grabbed her chin and leaned towards her._

"_What happened to you? What did your father do to you, Luke?" She asked, tearfully. Her words broke whatever mad spell he was under. Pushing away from her, Luke snarled._

"_Don't call him that!" He shouted. Leia flinched and Luke backed away._

"_What – who? Vader? But that's who he is, your father. What did he do to you, Luke?" She repeated. She watched as he shook his head._

"_He did nothing and he's not my father. He's Luke Skywalker's father,and if you haven't noticed - I am no longer Luke Skywalker." He told her coldly. Leia couldn't believe what she was hearing._

"_What!" She asked but he was already walking away._

"_Pray that our paths don't cross again, Princess. Because if they do, I will kill you."_

* * *

"He's my brother." Leia whispered quietly, pointedly staring at the Falcon's walkway strip. The feeble goggles she had been wearing, twisted in her hand as her inner turmoil rose. She felt the tears threatening to break free and fought them back. Now Han knew. He knew who her father was and he knew who her brother was.

Despite her earlier confidence in Han's character, she couldn't help but feel ashamed and exposed. What would he think of her now? Had she frightened him? Did she disgust him, belonging to a family of monsters? Had she ruined any chance with him? Leia sucked in a a breath and looked up, ready to take it all back, but Han beat her to it.

"I don't believe it." He snorted. There was a small smile on his face. Leia looked at him, flabbergasted.

"What?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing. After all the pain and torment she put herself through... he was _laughing _at her.

"How dare you!" She growled and slammed the goggles on the console. Trying to remember a Jedi calming technique, Leia moved to leave the cockpit but Han was faster. Reaching out, he snaked an arm around her middle and pulled her to him. The result left a sour princess in the captain's lap.

"Let go." She snapped and began to struggle in his grip. Han grinned.

"Sorry sweat heart. I didn't mean to upset you. But if you expect me to believe that pretty imperial boy Skywalker is your brother and Darth Vader is daddy dearest – than you must think I'm an idiot." He laughed. Feeling humiliated, Leia struggled harder.

"It's the truth. Vader told me. – now please let go!" She cried. Han shook his head: refusing to believe her words or let her go, she didn't know.

"He's lying. I don't know what twisted game he's playing, but it's obvious that you're a center piece." Leia shook her head, but said nothing. She was prepared for Han's anger, or hurt or even rejection at her revelation; but mockery? It cut her deep.

"Listen, he probably wants to capture you because you're the last Jedi." Han reason. Leia fought the sudden, impulsive urge to lean against him.

"No, he let me go on Hoth and I'm not a Jedi. Not really." She told him quietly. There was something in Han's words, though. Since Hoth, Vader had been relentlessly pursuing them. Why had he let her escape, if he only wanted to capture her? It made no sense. Unless...

"We need to go to Tatooine. Master Kenobi can help me. He'll have the answer." Leia insisted. Han tried to hide his laughter behind a snort and failed. A hot white pillar of anger pierced Leia's chest. Unaware to either of them, the goggles on the console began to shake.

"Stop it!" She yelled.

"He's playing you for a fool, Leia." Han insisted. His words were the last straw. Something snapped in Leia and before she knew it, the goggles had flown off the console and right smack into Han's face. Startled, he let go of her.

She looked back for a moment and then turned to leave as his face turned to an expression of hurt. Why should she feel guilty? He had hurt her. He deserved it.

"Let me know when we reach Tatooine."

* * *

The Emperor's eyes opened as he felt the disturbance in the Force. It was nothing impressionable, just a small wave – but still. Sitting in his throne, he contemplated the princess. She was growing stronger. Something would need to be done...

"Rise my dear. I have a new assignment for you." He told the red head who knelt before him. Silently, she rose.

"Skywalker has taken too long to return. I shall go and retrieve him for you, master." She told him. Palpatine studied her. A couple of years ago, she would not have dared to make such a presumptuous claim. No Hand would. There was something about the boy that Mara didn't like. Palpatine sensed a deep hatred and sense of envy from his Hand. It seemed Mara was jealous of the boy's usefulness to him.

"This has nothing to do with the boy." He snapped.

Mara bowed her head.

"Yes, master."

Palpatine's eyes narrowed.

"What I do is my own affairs. You are my servant." He continued. Mara dipped her head further.

"Yes, master."

"Make such brazen comments again, and I will kill you. Do you understand?" He ordered. She was practically prostrating herself before him.

"Yes, my master." She whispered. Palpatine smiled, satisfied.

"Good. Now, for your assignment." He watched in amusement as her head snapped back up in anticipation.

"You will kill Leia Organa." He told her and passed her a data pad. She took it silently and studied the information.

"Go now." He told her, waving a hand in dismissal. Without a word, Mara bowed and left. The Emperor turned in his chair and turned on the holo communicator. As much as he enjoyed making Vader kneel and wait for his appearance, he really did need to speak with him.

* * *

"What is thy biding, my master?" Vader humbly asked the large holo of Darth Sidious.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force." His master began. Vader knew what the conversation would entail. His master was finally acknowledging Leia and her potential.

"I have felt it." Was all the Vader said.

"We have a new enemy – the young rebel that destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt that this girl is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker." The Emperor snarled. Although technically his son had told him of Leia's existence and "suggested" the Emperor's wish for Vader to capture her, it was the first time that the Emperor had directly spoken to Vader about the princess. His failure to capture Leia was a moot point because at the time, his master had yet to give him a direct order.

"How is it possible?" Vader asked, acting as if it truly was the first time he was hearing of such news. If the Emperor knew of Vader's pretense, he didn't care.

"Search your feeling, Lord Vader. You know it to be true... She could destroy us." The Emperor continued.

"She's just a child and Master Yoda can no longer help her." Vader told his master, recalling the duel he had had with the old green Jedi aboard the Death Star. At the time, he hadn't understood why Yoda had just _let_ him win. But in light of his newly discovered daughter, it all made sense. Yoda had sacrificed himself in order to keep Vader distracted and allow the princess to escape.

_And for the princess to witness her beloved master's death by her own father's hands. It served as a fine wedge to add to the already strained relationship he had with the girl. _The Jedi were truly heartless in their goal to keep Vader away from his family. The dark lord clenched his fist and forced himself to focus on his master.

"This daughter of Skywalker must not become a Jedi." The Emperor reminded him. Vader could feel the mechanisms in his right hand strain as he tightened his fist further at the thought of Leia becoming a Jedi. No, she would not.

"If she could be turned, she would be a powerful ally." Vader purposed. His master smiled greedily.

"Yeeeessss. She would be a great asset... Can it be done?" He asked at length. Vader bowed.

"She will join us or die, my master."

He had no intention of destroying Leia, Jedi or no; but he could not let his master know of such things. Somehow, he needed to find her and bring her to Vjun where she would be safely hidden away from Sidous and his new uncontrollably blood thirsty servant - Luke. On Vjun, he would begin the painstaking task of undoing everything that the princess had ever been taught and known. If she could no longer hate him – if he could somehow convince her that he was not her enemy; he could train her and bring her under his guidance. Leia was his daughter but more importantly – she was his only hope to save Luke.

Vader pushed down and trampled on the feelings of regret at his actions on Hoth as they began to bleed into his consciousness. What had he been thinking, to allow the princess to escape? It wasn't in his character to grant such mercies. Summoning his anger, Vader pulled the veil of the dark side close to him and was frustrated when it's elusive power evaded him. What was happening to him?

Activating his comlink, he patched it through to Admiral Piett. It took less than a second for the man to reply.

"Yes milord?" The man asked promptly.

"Send out a transferable text to all bounty hunters in the system. There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. I cannot stress the importance of how vital the lives of ship's crew members are. Should they come to any premature tragedy, I will be most displease." Vader rumbled.

"Yes Lord Vader. I will dispatch the message myself." Piett told him.

"Good, and Admiral – find Boba Fett and have him brought to me immediately." He commanded and then shut off the comlink.

* * *

The apprentice slammed his hands on the keyboard. He had turned Grand Moff Kaine's fortress inside out looking for the necessary codes. He would not – could not - leave with out them.

The sound of a repetitive beep alerted him to his comlink. The apprentice activated it, recognizing the frequency.

"Yes, captain?" He asked.

"Sir, it's the rebellion! The entire fleet has amassed in the sector!" The captain told him, his voice alarmed. The apprentice paused as he took in the information and then smiled.

"Good."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

_Luke moaned. His body was so weak. He hadn't slept or eaten in days. His master hadn't let him._

_**Leia stood some distance away, feeling lost and helpless. Somehow she had been brought back in to Luke's dream. She felt the bile rising in her throat at the scene in front of her. From what she understood, her brother's dreams were past memories. Unbeknownst to her, her brother stood off in a dark corner and watched as the same scene of memories unfolded to him.**_

"_What is your name?" Sidious asked him coldly. Luke watched warily as his master placed a ration bar in front of him._

"_L-Luke Skywalker." He whispered, his eyes never leaving the food. He moaned softly when his master crushed the ration bar under his heal._

"_**Sad, isn't?" The apprentice sneered and walked through the image. Leia jumped at the sound of his voice, realizing too late that she had forgotten that she was never alone in her dreams.**_

"_No." He told him. Luke rubbed at his eyes, wishing he could cry but knowing the consequences if he did._

"_Master- please. What Am I doing wrong?" He asked hoarsely. His throat was raw. Sidious looked down on him silently before he turned abruptly away. The door to the dark meditation chamber opened. It was the first time Luke had seen day light in over a year._

"_**What do you want? Stay back!" Leia warned him. She reached down for her lightsaber on her belt only to realize that it was missing.**_

_**Her brother laughed at her.**_

"_**What do I want? Well, I think you know the answer to that question... What do you want, sister? You keep appearing in Skywalker's dreams." He gestured to the scene around them.**_

"_If you cannot learn this lesson, than you don't deserve the legacy of the Sith! Clearly, you're a waste of my time." Sidious told him contemptibly. Luke looked at the opened door longingly. After he had pledged his allegiance to the Emperor, his master had locked him inside the dark, windowless chamber and intensified his training. Luke had become much more powerful, but at a steep price of mental manipulation, starvation and isolation. _

_**Leia's brow furrowed at her brother's question and for the first time, she didn't understand why she was there. She had thought it was the will of the Force that was showing her the past, but perhaps she was subconsciously bringing herself to the visions.**_

_**Leia was so caught up in her own thoughts, that she failed to notice her brother and his slow advance.**_

_After a moment, he turned away from the door. Sidious smiled wickedly._

"_Will you leave?" He asked lightly. Luke shook his head._

"_I can't – I won't – no." He told his master finally._

"_Why?" Sidious asked, though he already knew the answer. Luke fell to his knees before him._

"_Because I need more power. I need you, Master. I am nothing without you." He told him, unable to look Sidious in the eyes. Still smiling, his master laid a hand on his hand._

_**Too late, Leia realized that she hadn't been paying attention. The apprentice grabbed the back of her neck and held her in place as he swung his leg behind her knees. The impact caused Leia to loose her footing and if not for her brother's hold on her neck, she would have fallen.**_

"_And that therein lies your lesson." Luke looked up in surprise. Sidous's eyes gleamed from beneath his hood._

"_You are nothing. Without me, you are nothing."_

"_I am nothing." Luke repeated. _

"_Good." Sidous told him, satisfied._

"_**Luke, please don't do this!" Leia begged, unashamed. She hoped that her heartfelt plea would break through to him, but her words seem to have the opposite affect.**_

"_**Don't. Call. Me. That." He told her pointedly, shaking her for good measure. He jerked his arm down, forcing Leia unto her knees.**_

"_Now my apprentice, what is your name?" He asked gleefully. Luke did look him in the eyes then._

"_**Then what shall we call you, my son?" Came a very familiar, baritone voice. Both Luke and Leia jumped at the sudden interruption. They turned and watched in surprise as Darth Vader emerged from the shadows.**_

"_Master, I have no name."_

_**The apprentice cursed and released his hold on Leia, who fell unceremoniously onto the floor.**_

"_**You're both fools!" The apprentice cursed before vanishing. Leia stared after him, confused and terrified. A secret part of her wished that he had stayed. She had never stood in Vader's presence alone and even though it was a dream and she wasn't even looking at her father, she could sense that he had not left.**_

"_**You need to learn your power, princess. Learn to shield yourself." Vader told her after a moment of silence.**_

_**Leia turned and looked up at him warily. He offered her his hand.**_

"Leia, wake up!" A familiar voice shouted. Jerking slightly, Leia opened her eyes. The familiarity of the cockpit was a comfort, reminding her that she was indeed still on the Falcon and out of the clutches of her insane brother and violent father. No - not father and brother - they were imposters, she reminded herself.

Rubbing her eyes, she turned in her seat. Han sat next to her in the pilot seat.

"What is it?" She asked blearily. Han kept his eyes forward, unwilling to risk a glance at her.

After the incident with the goggles she had sent flying at him, there had been a rift between them.

"What is it?" Leia asked again, somewhat impatient. Han wanted to tell her that she had been muttering in her sleep. He wanted to say that she had another nightmare. He wanted to comment on the fact that she had made the toolbox, her comlink and several storage cylinders in the cockpit levitate in her troubled sleep. He told her none of that.

"Tatooine. We've arrived." The smuggler gestured to the viewing screen.

Leia stared at the giant ball of blue and gold before her. A trickled of awareness teased at her mind and she tried to get a better sense of the strange sensation.

"Where do we land?" Han asked her when it became apparent that she wasn't going to speak.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Leia murmured. Closing her eyes, Leia stretched out into the Force. The planet was full of life, hidden and primitive and rough and wild – but still full of life. Leia's mind briefly touched each life form, hoping to find the elusive trickle that flickered in and out of her awareness... and then there was a shock.

It felt as if she had just stuck her finger in an archive socket. Her mind was numb from the power and intelligence she felt on the other side of the connection she had just made. Someone down on the surface was strong with the Force and was silently reaching out to her.

As the Falcon neared its destination, the presence grew stronger.

"There." Leia pointed to the screen. Han flew the ship into the planet's atmosphere under her vague direction. As the ship descended, Han recognized the terrain.

"The Jundland Wastes? I can't land the Falcon there!" He exclaimed. Leia sighed, knowing that he was right.

"That's where we need to go." She told him plainly. Chewie let out a sudden roar alerting Han and Leia to his presence as he entered the cockpit.

"I'm not landing there, either." Han retorted. Leia frowned and looked at Chewie questionably.

"Chewbacca says that the Dune Sea would be the most preferable place to land, as the landscape is most ideal and within a half a days walk to the Jundle Wastes." See Threepio announced as he followed the Wookie into the cockpit. There was a series of short whistles that followed meaning that Artoo had followed them in as well.

"I don't know what you're talking about. No one asked for your opinion, anyways." Threepio turned to the other droid in what looked like would be another argument between the two.

"Why don't we land in the Dune Sea?" Leia asked Han. It was the most ideal spot. She couldn't understand Han's hesitancy.

Chewie growled. Han grimaced.

"Jabba's Palace borders this desert." Han told her miserably and then Leia understood his reluctance.

"It's alright, we can land in one of the settlements instead." Leia told him, through gritted teeth. In truth, she was impatient to find the Jedi Master that Yoda had told her about. She needed answers and training and advice. She didn't want to dawdle anymore than necessary. By allowing Han to land the ship in one of the space ports, it would be an even longer journey to travel to the Jundle Wastes.

Still, she wanted to try and amend the awkwardness between them after her aggressive outburst the fortnight back.

Chewie groaned.

"Chewbacca says that we would draw even more attention in the cities, should we land the ship there. Quite frankly, I highly doubt that Jabba the Hutt has that many spies in every city, but he's being very insistent." Threepio exclaimed. Artoo whistled. Chewie grumbled. Han sighed.

"He's right. I'm a dead man no matter what... Alright sweetheart, it's time for you to meet this Jedi Master." Han told them, resigned. The Millennium Falcon landed near the Great Pit of Carkoon.

* * *

The Force was truly with the him. There was no other explanation. By some miracle, the apprentice had located the key codes in Kaine's main computer base. Furthermore, he could sense that the rebels were in the system. His intuition told him that soon they would land on the surface.

"... once they are in the sector, only send out one of the Star Destroyers. We don't want to scare them away. They're will be a detachment team sent to the surface. See to it that they find they're way into the fortress." The apprentice commanded Captain Marl Semtin via comlink.

"Yes, sir... My maintenance crew has already been transferred to the _Reaper. _She's expected toexperiences a total systems crash in approximately twenty minutes." The Semtin reported. He was somewhat uncomfortable by his orders and the most recent turn of event, but he was doing his best to hide his emotions.

"Excellent. Oh, and captain, I want a squad of storm troopers sent down to the Grand Moff's fortress with orders to shoot on sight." The apprentice told him grimly. Semtin hesitated briefly. By giving such orders, the captain was effectively putting the apprentice, his commanding officer, in danger.

Finally, the man nodded and for once the apprentice did not reprimand him for his slow response.

"I will, sir." He told him.

"Good." Then the transmission was cut.

The rebels would arrive within the hour. The Force was carving out a path to his destiny. Still, the apprentice longed to contact his master and inform him of the situation. The Emperor's approval and his ability to use his body as conduct to the dark side was an addiction. The apprentice starved for both. However, without the information chip any attempt at contact would be humiliating and risking his master's wrath. He never contacted his master before completing an assignment. Still, it had never taken him so long to finish a task before!

Growling under his breath, the apprentice activated a distress call from the fortress's mass computer hub. The rebels would detect the signal...

He knew what he had to do.

The Grand Moff's dungeon's were on the lowest level of the fortress and they were disgusting. There was no light and the stone walls were cold and covered in grime. The floor was damp and the air was stale. The apprentice opened one of the barred gates and made his way into one of the cells. He detested the the concept of being locked up, but it was a necessary ruse for the rebellion. Once they found him, they would all be taken in by his guise.

The apprentice moved to wait in a meditative pose on the stone floor. He quickly fell asleep and dreamed of his past and of his sister.

* * *

"Ma'am, we're entering the Seswenna System." A lieutenant informed Mon Mothma. The red headed woman and her Mon Calamari companion stood on the bridge of the Bulwark II and watched as they neared their destination.

They were surprised by the lack of Imperial ships in the sector.

"Nothing is appearing on the scopes. This could be a trap." Madine told them from the control center, his focus was on the scanners in front of him.

"Stay alert and watch for enemy fighters." Admiral Ackbar commanded. Mon Mothma shifted uneasily beside him.

"According to Commander Cracken, Grand Moff Kaine's fortress is in the Northern Temperate Region." She spoke quietly. Ackbar nodded.

"Where is the commander?" Ackbar asked just as blast of red light flooded the bridge and an alarm sounded.

"Warning. A Victory Class Star Destroyer has been detected." A computer voice announced. The crew began to shout in various panic and confusion.

"Deploy Rogue Squadron!" Madine ordered.

"Should we turn back?" Ackbar asked Mon Mothma. The ex senator took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"Ma'am, we've detected a distress call from the surface!" An officer interrupted. Mon Mothma and Ackbar looked at each other in bewilderment. The officer went on.

"It's coming from some sort of... base? It's located in the Northern Temperate Region." He reported.

"Have Commander Cracken report to the bridge immediately!" Admiral Achbar ordered.

* * *

**A/N: What we know so far from the chapter - 1. Leia is still suffering from a strange Force connection between her and her brother where they keep encountering each other in Luke's dreams. 2. Vader made an appearance in the most recent dream. 3. The Millennium Falcon has reached Tatooine. 4. Luke is setting up some elaborate trap to lure the rebels to him. 5. The rebellion is in the Seswenna System. **


End file.
